Massage: More Than Just Relaxation

For some, the notion of a massage conjures up images of spas smelling of lavender, or a special treat the rich get to enjoy to enhance a nap. Though these images are representative of the experience of some, there are massage techniques that can do a world of therapeutic good: ranging from medical diagnosis to relief of debilitating and chronic pain.

With this article I hope to empower you, the reader, to find a massage therapist that will best suit your needs.

In China, hospitals employ massage therapists as part of their intake staff. With the powers of palpitation (feeling), a properly trained massage therapist can detect organ issues, or other problems that help direct the physicians in treatment. Also, by understanding the circulatory flows of the body, a massage therapist can direct the body to send healing elements to the ailing area.

But this is not our typical of massage in the U.S. This is because massage schools in the U.S. churn out "Swedish Massage" therapists. Swedish Massage is your basic rest and relaxation massage technique, and though it is the foundation for American licensure, it is the most elementary form of massage. In addition to relaxation, it increases circulation, can decrease blood pressure, and provide some pain relief--though the relief, if achieved, is usually short lived.

It can be good in conjunction with a chiropractic appointment--if you have a muscle which has become so stressed and tight that it pulls certain vertebrae or your knee out of joint, then before a chiropractor makes an adjustment, massaging that muscle group can make the adjustment more effective and long lasting--but it is my opinion that Swedish massage is so elementary that it is a waste for anything other than indulgence.

Similarly, when a practitioner says that they also can do, “Deep Tissue Massage” it is really nothing more than Swedish. It may be slightly deeper, but it’s still just Swedish. Someone looking for serious therapeutic massage will most likely be frustrated if the therapist only uses those two terms when explaining the techniques that they perform.

That said, there are some locally available massage techniques that, unlike Swedish, have significant therapeutic benefits. Here are a few.

Neuromuscular Technique (NMT)  

This method was developed in the 1930s-40s by three osteopathic doctors. In layman’s terms, the therapist finds muscular trigger points and applies a steady pressure which triggers a brain response to relax the muscle. NMT is especially beneficial for people with longstanding pain issues of many kinds. Since muscle attaches (via ligaments and tendons) to bones and joints, a stressed out muscle can be the cause of intense joint, back, knee, or neck pain, as well as pain directly in a muscle. People who have experienced car accidents, sports injuries, or other physical trauma often find great benefit from NMT. The closest NMT Therapist is just over the bridge in Bala Cynwyd.  They are few and far between, so it’s great to have one right around the corner!

Cranial Sacral Technique

The Cranial Sacral Technique (CST) was also developed by an osteopathic doctor in the 1890s. In CST, the practitioner takes hold of the base of the patient’s skull and base of the spine at the same time. With careful attention, the practitioner can begin to feel a "rhythm" as bodily fluids pass through the core of the body and creates an energy flow. This rhythm is often faint and varying, but as the practitioner holds the client in this special way, the rhythm strengthens and becomes synchronized.  

A practitioner who knows CST may implement it for a few minutes within a therapeutic session, or devote an entire hour to executing the full technique. Either way, what is happening is similar to a chiropractic adjustment, but instead of manipulating the bones by forcing them back into alignment, CST stimulates the bodily fluids and body energy to do the work from the inside out.

The technique also stimulates production of endorphins. This may produce a peaceful or even euphoric state for the client, and in some cases, can be used in conjunction with psychological therapies for enhancing mental clarity and insight.

With Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in our back yard, you can call them to find an osteopath in the area who practices this technique, or call the Roxborough Health Center which is associated with PCOM.

Myofascial Release

This focuses not on the muscle tissue, but a webbing that exists in between the muscle fibers. Have you ever prepared a chicken breast or thigh for dinner? If so, you may have noticed that the meat has a thin, white, spider web-like substance layered in with the muscle. This is fascia. 

The basic theory behind Myofascial Release is that the fascia within the muscle should be lubricated, but is often extremely dried out. This fascia can be effected just as readily (or more-so) than the muscle itself. The practitioner holds an area in such a way that healing fluids and energy come in and lubricate the fascia. 

Think of a patch of dried out dirt. When the water is added, what was cracked and cakey becomes life-giving and rich. "Trauma, inflammatory responses, and/or surgical procedures create Myofascial restrictions that can produce tensile pressures of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch on pain sensitive structures that do not show up in many of the standard tests,” says a leading myofascial expert. In other words, stressed out fascia exerts extreme pressure on muscle--which causes pain, or causes the muscle to cramp up and pull on bones, joints, and even organs. Dealing with the fascia deals with a core issue, which produces a positive domino effect.

The technique is extremely gentle so it can be used on even the most touch sensitive patients, but it is extremely effective. I used to use this technique on all my clients--from professional athletes to a 55 year old woman who had a heart and lung transplant, and it was just as effective as an intense sports massage.

Here in Roxborough, you can visit Total Body Integrative Massage for myofascial work. 

I am about to exceed my word limit for this week, so join me next week when we look at a few more massage techniques worth experiencing.